The minister said that the cybersecurity app is not mandatory for users. If you don’t wish to register, you shouldn’t register and can remove it anytime,” Scindia told reporters outside the Parliament. “But not everyone in the country knows that this app exists to protect them from fraud and theft,” Scindia said.
Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has issued a clarification on the Sanchar Saathi app. “The app is completely optional. If you want to delete it, you can. The telecom minister added that the app does not enable snooping or call monitoring.
One of the world’s largest telephone markets, India has more than 1.2 billion subscribers. As per government figures, the app has helped recover more than 700,000 lost phones, including 50,000 in October alone. With more than 5 million downloads since its launch, the app has helped block more than 3.7 million stolen or lost mobile phones, while more than 30 million fraudulent connections have also been terminated.
The app is available in Hindi and 21 other regional languages, making it inclusive and accessible across the country. The Sanchar Saathi app helps prevent cyber threats and assists tracking and blocking of lost or stolen phones, helping police to trace devices, while keeping counterfeits out of the black market, according to the Union government. “It is our responsibility to make this app reach everyone. If you want to delete it, then delete it. If you don’t want to use it, then don’t register it. If you register it, then it will remain active. If you don’t register it, then it will remain inactive. For instance, if you don’t want to use the app, don’t register for it, it will stay dormant, and delete it if you want to,” Scindia explained. He added that the government’s responsibility is to make the app available to everyone, as many citizens are unaware of this tool designed to protect them from digital frauds and theft.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) introduced the Sanchar Saathi mobile app in January 2025. As per DoT, Sanchar Saathi app is mainly designed to help users block and track lost or stolen smartphones across all telecom networks, using a central registry.
Apple does not plan to comply with a mandate to preload its smartphones with a state-owned cyber safety app and will convey its concerns to the ministry, according to a Reuters report. Apple does not plan to comply with the directive and will tell the government it does not follow such mandates anywhere in the world as they raise a host of privacy and security issues for the company’s iOS ecosystem, said two of the industry sources who are familiar with Apple’s concerns. “Its not only like taking a sledgehammer, this is like a double-barrel gun,” said the first source. The app complements the existing Sanchar Saathi portal by providing convenient, on-the-go protection against identity theft, forged KYC, device theft, banking fraud, and other cyber risks, according to telecom department.
They declined to be named publicly as the company’s strategy is private. It also lets them identify, and disconnect, fraudulent mobile connections.